Acts of the Apostles bible study chapters 15 through 21

 

            Here is the next part of the bible study, which includes 15 through 21, continuing Paul’s missionary journeys and detailing the various events that took place in them. For the last seven chapters 8 through 14 please go here

https://www.facebook.com/notes/jay-dougherty/acts-of-the-apostles-bible-study-chapters-8-through-14/10200616880238024

 

There are contentions about the requirements to be saved in chapter 15, some trying to say it is needed but then it was proved it isn’t then at the end of the chapter Paul and Barnabas have a strong disagreement and separate to go on their own ways

(Acts 15:1)  But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved."

 

(Acts 15:2)  And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question.

 

(Acts 15:3)  So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers.

 

(Acts 15:4)  When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them.

 

(Acts 15:5)  But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, "It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses."

 

(Acts 15:6)  The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter.

 

(Acts 15:7)  And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, "Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.

 

(Acts 15:8)  And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us,

 

(Acts 15:9)  and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith.

 

(Acts 15:10)  Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?

 

(Acts 15:11)  But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will."

 

(Acts 15:12)  And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.

 

(Act 15:13)  After they finished speaking, James replied, "Brothers, listen to me.

 

(Acts 15:14)  Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name.

 

(Acts 15:15)  And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written,

 

(Acts 15:16)  "'After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins,  and I will restore it,

 

(Acts 15:17)  that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name,  says the Lord, who makes these things

 

(Acts 15:18)  known from of old.'

 

(Acts 15:19)  Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God,

 

(Acts 15:20)  but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood.

 

(Acts 15:21)  For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues."

 

(Acts 15:22)  Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers,

 

(Acts 15:23)  with the following letter: "The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings.

 

(Acts 15:24)  Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions,

 

(Acts 15:25)  it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

 

(Acts 15:26)  men who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

(Acts 15:27)  We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth.

 

(Acts 15:28)  For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements:

 

(Acts 15:29)  that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell."

 

(Acts 15:30)  So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter.

 

(Acts 15:31)  And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement.

 

(Acts 15:32)  And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words.

 

(Acts 15:33)  And after they had spent some time, they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them.

 

(Acts 15:34)  [But it seemed good to Silas to remain there.]

 

(Acts 15:35)  But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.

 

(Acts 15:36)  And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are."

 

(Acts 15:37)  Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark.

 

(Acts 15:38)  But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work.

 

(Acts 15:39)  And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus,

 

(Acts 15:40)  but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.

 

(Acts 15:41)  And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

 

Paul and Silas go on their own journeys in chapter 16. Paul  and Silas find Timothy, then end up going to Phillipi where they are persecuted as Paul casts out a spirit of divination from a woman, then the people get mad as this robs them of income. Paul is beaten and thrown into prison, then an earthquake gets him free. After the event of the earthquake, the jailor and his family then give their lives to Christ

(Acts 16:1)  Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek.

 

(Acts 16:2)  He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium.

 

(Acts 16:3)  Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

 

(Acts 16:4)  As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem.

 

(Acts 16:5)  So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.

 

(Acts 16:6)  And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.

 

(Acts 16:7)  And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.

 

(Acts 16:8)  So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas.

 

(Acts 16:9)  And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us."

 

(Acts 16:10)  And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

 

(Acts 16:11)  So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis,

 

(Acts 16:12)  and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days.

 

(Acts 16:13)  And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together.

 

(Acts 16:14)  One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.

 

(Acts 16:15)  And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay." And she prevailed upon us.

 

(Acts 16:16)  As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling.

 

(Acts 16:17)  She followed Paul and us, crying out, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation."

 

(Acts 16:18)  And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And it came out that very hour.

 

(Acts 16:19)  But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers.

 

(Acts 16:20)  And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, "These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city.

 

(Acts 16:21)  They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice."

 

(Acts 16:22)  The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods.

 

(Acts 16:23)  And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely.

 

(Acts 16:24)  Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

 

(Acts 16:25)  About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,

 

(Acts 16:26)  and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened.

 

(Acts 16:27)  When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.

 

(Acts 16:28)  But Paul cried with a loud voice, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here."

 

(Acts 16:29)  And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas.

 

(Acts 16:30)  Then he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

 

(Acts 16:31)  And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household."

 

(Acts 16:32)  And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.

 

(Acts 16:33)  And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family.

 

(Acts 16:34)  Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.

 

(Acts 16:35)  But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, "Let those men go."

 

(Acts 16:36)  And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, "The magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore come out now and go in peace."

 

(Acts 16:37)  But Paul said to them, "They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out."

 

(Acts 16:38)  The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens.

 

(Acts 16:39)  So they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city.

 

(Acts 16:40)  So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed.

 

In chapter 17 Paul continues his journeys to places like Thessalonica, Berea, and Athens, which had many idols. At Thessalonica and Berea they faced persecution from the Jews but many people in all the areas but especially in Berea, believed in the preaching and were saved. The Berean Jews to their credit checked the preaching by what the scriptures said, something that we all should do today

(Acts 17:1)  Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.

 

(Acts 17:2)  And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,

 

(Acts 17:3)  explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ."

 

(Acts 17:4)  And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.

 

(Acts 17:5)  But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd.

 

(Acts 17:6)  And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, "These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also,

 

(Acts 17:7)  and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus."

 

(Acts 17:8)  And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things.

 

(Acts 17:9)  And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.

 

(Acts 17:10)  The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue.

 

(Acts 17:11)  Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

 

(Acts 17:12)  Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men.

 

(Acts 17:13)  But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds.

 

(Acts 17:14)  Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there.

 

(Acts 17:15)  Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed.

 

(Acts 17:16)  Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols.

 

(Acts 17:17)  So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there.

 

(Acts 17:18)  Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, "What does this babbler wish to say?" Others said, "He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities"--because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection.

 

(Acts 17:19)  And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?

 

(Acts 17:20)  For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean."

 

(Acts 17:21)  Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.

 

(Acts 17:22)  So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: "Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious.

 

(Acts 17:23)  For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, 'To the unknown god.' What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.

 

(Acts 17:24)  The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man,

 

(Acts 17:25)  nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.

 

(Acts 17:26)  And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place,

 

(Acts 17:27)  that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,

 

(Acts 17:28)  for "'In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, "'For we are indeed his offspring.'

 

(Acts 17:29)  Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man.

 

(Acts 17:30)  The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,

 

(Acts 17:31)  because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead."

 

(Acts 17:32)  Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, "We will hear you again about this."

 

(Acts 17:33)  So Paul went out from their midst.

 

(Acts 17:34)  But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.

 

Paul continues his journeys in Greece teaching and preaching in various cities, then Apollo is better trained by two of Paul’s converts Acquilla and Priscilla in chapter 18

(Acts 18:1)  After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.

 

(Acts 18:2)  And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them,

 

(Acts 18:3)  and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.

 

(Acts 18:4)  And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks.

 

(Acts 18:5)  When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus.

 

(Acts 18:6)  And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles."

 

(Acts 18:7)  And he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. His house was next door to the synagogue.

 

(Acts 18:8)  Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized.

 

(Acts 18:9)  And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, "Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent,

 

(Acts 18:10)  for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people."

 

(Acts 18:11)  And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

 

(Acts 18:12)  But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal,

 

(Acts 18:13)  saying, "This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law."

 

(Acts 18:14)  But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, "If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious crime, O Jews, I would have reason to accept your complaint.

 

(Acts 18:15)  But since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of these things."

 

(Acts 18:16)  And he drove them from the tribunal.

 

(Acts 18:17)  And they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to any of this.

 

(Acts 18:18)  After this, Paul stayed many days longer and then took leave of the brothers and set sail for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had cut his hair, for he was under a vow.

 

(Acts 18:19)  And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there, but he himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews.

 

(Acts 18:20)  When they asked him to stay for a longer period, he declined.

 

(Acts 18:21)  But on taking leave of them he said, "I will return to you if God wills," and he set sail from Ephesus.

 

(Acts 18:22)  When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch.

 

(Acts 18:23)  After spending some time there, he departed and went from one place to the next through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

 

(Acts 18:24)  Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures.

 

(Acts 18:25)  He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John.

 

(Acts 18:26)  He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

 

(Act 18:27)  And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed,

 

(Acts 18:28)  for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.

 

Paul continues his missionary journeys in then Greece teaching, preaching and doing miracles, even by the use of handkerchiefs, proving God can use anyone or anything to do whatever He pleases. There are various other stories, like burning of magic books and also the failure of Jewish exorcists.

(Acts 19:1)  And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples.

 

(Acts 19:2)  And he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" And they said, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."

 

(Acts 19:3)  And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" They said, "Into John's baptism."

 

(Acts 19:4)  And Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus."

 

(Acts 19:5)  On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

 

(Acts 19:6)  And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying.

 

(Acts 19:7)  There were about twelve men in all.

 

(Acts 19:8)  And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God.

 

(Acts 19:9)  But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus.

 

(Acts 19:10)  This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.

 

(Acts 19:11)  And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul,

 

(Acts 19:12)  so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.

 

(Acts 19:13)  Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims."

 

(Acts 19:14)  Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this.

 

(Acts 19:15)  But the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?"

 

(Acts 19:16)  And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

 

(Acts 19:17)  And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled.

 

(Acts 19:18)  Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices.

 

(Acts 19:19)  And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver.

 

(Acts 19:20)  So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.

 

(Acts 19:21)  Now after these events Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem, saying, "After I have been there, I must also see Rome."

 

(Acts 19:22)  And having sent into Macedonia two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.

 

(Acts 19:23)  About that time there arose no little disturbance concerning the Way.

 

(Acts 19:24)  For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen.

 

(Acts 19:25)  These he gathered together, with the workmen in similar trades, and said, "Men, you know that from this business we have our wealth.

 

(Acts 19:26)  And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods.

 

(Acts 19:27)  And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be counted as nothing, and that she may even be deposed from her magnificence, she whom all Asia and the world worship."

 

(Acts 19:28)  When they heard this they were enraged and were crying out, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!"

 

(Acts 19:29)  So the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed together into the theater, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul's companions in travel.

 

(Acts 19:30)  But when Paul wished to go in among the crowd, the disciples would not let him.

 

(Acts 19:31)  And even some of the Asiarchs, who were friends of his, sent to him and were urging him not to venture into the theater.

 

(Acts 19:32)  Now some cried out one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together.

 

(Acts 19:33)  Some of the crowd prompted Alexander, whom the Jews had put forward. And Alexander, motioning with his hand, wanted to make a defense to the crowd.

 

(Acts 19:34)  But when they recognized that he was a Jew, for about two hours they all cried out with one voice, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!"

 

(Acts 19:35)  And when the town clerk had quieted the crowd, he said, "Men of Ephesus, who is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great Artemis, and of the sacred stone that fell from the sky?

 

(Acts 19:36)  Seeing then that these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rash.

 

(Acts 19:37)  For you have brought these men here who are neither sacrilegious nor blasphemers of our goddess.

 

(Acts 19:38)  If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another.

 

(Acts 19:39)  But if you seek anything further, it shall be settled in the regular assembly.

 

(Acts 19:40)  For we really are in danger of being charged with rioting today, since there is no cause that we can give to justify this commotion."

 

(Acts 19:41)  And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly.

 

Chapter 20 contains more of Paul’s missionary journeys including raising someone from the dead after he had fallen three stories.

(Acts 20:1)  After the uproar ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them, he said farewell and departed for Macedonia.

 

(Acts 20:2)  When he had gone through those regions and had given them much encouragement, he came to Greece.

 

(Acts 20:3)  There he spent three months, and when a plot was made against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia.

 

(Acts 20:4)  Sopater the Berean, son of Pyrrhus, accompanied him; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus.

 

(Acts 20:5)  These went on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas,

 

(Acts 20:6)  but we sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days we came to them at Troas, where we stayed for seven days.

 

(Acts 20:7)  On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight.

 

(Acts 20:8)  There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered.

 

(Acts 20:9)  And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead.

 

(Acts 20:10)  But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, "Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him."

 

(Acts 20:11)  And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed.

 

(Acts 20:12)  And they took the youth away alive, and were not a little comforted.

 

(Acts 20:13)  But going ahead to the ship, we set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there, for so he had arranged, intending himself to go by land.

 

(Acts 20:14)  And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and went to Mitylene.

 

(Acts 20:15)  And sailing from there we came the following day opposite Chios; the next day we touched at Samos; and the day after that we went to Miletus.

 

(Acts 20:16)  For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia, for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.

 

(Acts 20:17)  Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him.

 

(Acts 20:18)  And when they came to him, he said to them: "You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia,

 

(Acts 20:19)  serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews;

 

(Acts 20:20)  how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house,

 

(Acts 20:21)  testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

(Acts 20:22)  And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there,

 

(Acts 20:23)  except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me.

 

(Acts 20:24)  But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

 

(Acts 20:25)  And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again.

 

(Acts 20:26)  Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you,

 

(Acts 20:27)  for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.

 

(Acts 20:28)  Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.

 

(Acts 20:29)  I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;

 

(Acts 20:30)  and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.

 

(Acts 20:31)  Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears.

 

(Acts 20:32)  And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

 

(Acts 20:33)  I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel.

 

(Acts 20:34)  You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me.

 

(Acts 20:35)  In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

 

(Acts 20:36)  And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.

 

(Acts 20:37)  And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him,

 

(Acts 20:38)  being sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship.

 

In chapter 21 Paul finishes this set of missionary journeys and then returns back to Judea and even back to Jerusalem despite a prophecy of being persecuted and jailed, which did indeed happen due to persecution and accusations. Paul was not at all discouraged by any threat of persecution, a model to us today.

(Acts 21:1)  And when we had parted from them and set sail, we came by a straight course to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara.

 

(Acts 21:2)  And having found a ship crossing to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail.

 

(Act 21:3)  When we had come in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left we sailed to Syria and landed at Tyre, for there the ship was to unload its cargo.

 

(Acts 21:4)  And having sought out the disciples, we stayed there for seven days. And through the Spirit they were telling Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.

 

(Acts 21:5)  When our days there were ended, we departed and went on our journey, and they all, with wives and children, accompanied us until we were outside the city. And kneeling down on the beach, we prayed

 

(Acts 21:6)  and said farewell to one another. Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home.

 

(Acts 21:7)  When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, and we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for one day.

 

(Acts 21:8)  On the next day we departed and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him.

 

(Acts 21:9)  He had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied.

 

(Acts 21:10)  While we were staying for many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.

 

(Acts 21:11)  And coming to us, he took Paul's belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, "Thus says the Holy Spirit, 'This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.'"

 

(Acts 21:12)  When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem.

 

(Acts 21:13)  Then Paul answered, "What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."

 

(Acts 21:14)  And since he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, "Let the will of the Lord be done."

 

(Acts 21:15)  After these days we got ready and went up to Jerusalem.

 

(Acts 21:16)  And some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us, bringing us to the house of Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we should lodge.

 

(Acts 21:17)  When we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly.

 

(Acts 21:18)  On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.

 

(Acts 21:19)  After greeting them, he related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.

 

(Acts 21:20)  And when they heard it, they glorified God. And they said to him, "You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed. They are all zealous for the law,

 

(Acts 21:21)  and they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs.

 

(Acts 21:22)  What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come.

 

(Acts 21:23)  Do therefore what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow;

 

(Acts 21:24)  take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law.

 

(Acts 21:25)  But as for the Gentiles who have believed, we have sent a letter with our judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality."

 

(Acts 21:26)  Then Paul took the men, and the next day he purified himself along with them and went into the temple, giving notice when the days of purification would be fulfilled and the offering presented for each one of them.

 

(Acts 21:27)  When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him,

 

(Acts 21:28)  crying out, "Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place. Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place."

 

(Acts 21:29)  For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple.

 

(Acts 21:30)  Then all the city was stirred up, and the people ran together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut.

 

(Acts 21:31)  And as they were seeking to kill him, word came to the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion.

 

(Acts 21:32)  He at once took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. And when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.

 

(Acts 21:33)  Then the tribune came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. He inquired who he was and what he had done.

 

(Acts 21:34)  Some in the crowd were shouting one thing, some another. And as he could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks.

 

(Acts 21:35)  And when he came to the steps, he was actually carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd,

 

(Acts 21:36)  for the mob of the people followed, crying out, "Away with him!"

 

(Acts 21:37)  As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the tribune, "May I say something to you?" And he said, "Do you know Greek?

 

(Acts 21:38)  Are you not the Egyptian, then, who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?"

 

(Acts 21:39)  Paul replied, "I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no obscure city. I beg you, permit me to speak to the people."

 

(Acts 21:40)  And when he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the steps, motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great hush, he addressed them in the Hebrew language, saying:

Here is a link to the remaining seven chapters of Acts, namely 22 through 28 to complete the study

https://www.facebook.com/notes/jay-dougherty/acts-of-the-apostles-bible-study-chapters-22-through-28/10200620051077293  

These are powerful narratives and stories of Paul’s missionary journesy and the others who went with Him on them spreading the word of God over Greece and Asia minor back in those days of his mission, and even though Paul faced persecution and trials, even beatings, he never stopped. As a result of Paul’s going on these journeys many were led to the Lord Jesus. These are things that only God can do, and I share these words with you, hoping the Holy Spirit brings conviction, for Jesus did die for you and I to find a relationship with Him and His Father. Jesus when He died on the cross paid the price for all of our sins and now all we need to do is accept. I am including a prayer where you can do that, accepting the grace and mercy of Jesus our Lord and either come for the first time or return to Him, if you have drifted away. Please pray this with me:

Dear God in heaven, I come to you in the name of Jesus. I acknowledge to You that I am a sinner, and I am sorry for my sins and the life that I have lived; I need your forgiveness. I believe that your only begotten Son Jesus Christ shed His precious blood on the cross at Calvary and died for my sins, and I am now willing to turn from my sin. You said in Your Holy Word, Romans 10:9 that if we confess Jesus as our Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead, we will be saved. Right now I confess Jesus as the Lord of my soul. With my heart, I believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. This very moment I accept Jesus Christ as my own personal Savior and according to His Word, right now I am saved. Thank you Jesus for your unlimited grace which has saved me from my sins. I thank you Jesus that your grace never leads to license, but rather it always leads to repentance. Therefore Lord Jesus transform my life so that I may bring glory and honor to you alone and not to myself. Thank you Jesus for dying for me and giving me eternal life.

Amen.

God bless you and yours